Abbawerement oe several slide-valves ist the same steam-chest



UNITED sTATEs PATENT orrrcn.

CYRUSA RICHARDSON, 0F WOBURN, MASSACHUSETTS.

ARRANGEMET 0F SEVERAL SLIDE-VALVES IN `'III-IE SAME STEAIVLCHEST.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 7,350, dated May 7, 1850.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CYRUs RioHARDsoN, of the town of Woburn, in thecounty of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Arranging Valves for Locomotives and otherEngines, called Richardsons Improved Arrangement of Valves, which isdescribed as follows, reference being had to the annexed drawings of thesame making part of this specification.`

` Figure l is a plan of the valves, eccen trics, &c.,` the cap plate ofthe steam chest being removed in order to exhibit the interior of thesteam chest. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section on the line 0, o, ofFig. l, the cap plate being in its proper position. Fig. 3, is alongitudinal section on the line w, w, of Fig. l, the cap plate being inits place. Fig. 4 is a plan of the steam chest, the cap and valves H,I-I, being rqmoved in order to show the openings in the valve seat.

Similar letters in the several gures refer to like parts.

My improved arrangement consists in making two or more valve seats inthe same steam chest, with a valve cup to each seat, one of which ismade in the usual form, and is used when the engine has to draw itsordinary load, and the valve cups to the other seats are made of variouslengths longer than is usual and are used when the engine has less thanits ordinary load, and graduates the quantity of steam used as toapportion it in some measure according to theA load, and thus enablesthe engineer to economize, or reduce the quantity of fuel used togenerate the steam. This is eit'ected by stopping the ingress of thesteam into the cylinder when the cylinder is one third, one half, orpartially lled with steam; and by this means the expansive force of thesteam is gained.

In the drawing accompanying my application I have represented similarvalve seats upon, and wavs through the sides of `a triangular bed plate,or prism, represented in the drawings at I, the valve cup H isintendedto work a full stroke of steam and is arranged u on one side of theaforesaid triangular be plate, and is operated by the usual kind ofmachinery used for that purpose, such as eccentrics B, B eccentric hookrods C, C', vibrating lever beam E, rock` shaft D, valve rod F, F2, camshaft M, and

lifting cams V, V, for disengaging the ec-v centric rods C, C', from thelever E, all of Lwhich may be made and operated in the usual manner tochange orstop the motion of the valve cup.

The valve cup H is intended to work a is effected by making the sweep ofthe y eccentrics B2 twice as long as the eccentrics B, B, so that whenthe piston arrives at the center of the cylinder the valve closes andshuts or cuts olf the steam upon that side of the piston until the nextstroke. The valve I-I is connected to the eccentric B2 by the eccentrichook rod C2, lever E2 valve rod F2. The cam V2 is designed fordisengaging the hook rod C2, and is operated in the usual manner.

The operation of the common slide valves in steam engines being so wellknown as to require no farther description, I shall therefore proceed todescribe the operation or erates the valve H giving the piston half astroke of steam. There may be several pins in the lever E2 at variousdistances from the center of the rock shaft to eifect a less stroke bydiminishing the sweep of the beam. Where the amount of power requiredvaries, I contemplate the use of steam chests with such a number ofvalve seats wit-h the requisite steam ways as may be necessary to eectthe changes in the quantity of steamused, to suit the quantity of powerrequired, the valves to be arranged upon a plane, or the portion of acylinder, or upon angular elevations. I am aware (that two or more slidevalves and valve seats have been used in the same `steam chest, as isthe case when a cut ofi'. valve above the usual valve is employed.V I amalso aware"VV and from the cylinder of a steam engine, ar-

ranged and operated to graduate the admissionofsteam into the cylindersofsteam engines in the manner and for the purpose substantially as aboveset forth in the foregoing specification.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name before twosubscribing witnesses.

CYRUS RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

o JOHN B. BEERS,

JAMES M. RANDALL.

